Benefits of Being Healthy
By Armani Valentin
By Armani Valentin
Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and said to yourself, “Damn, I really need to start going to the gym,” or "I need to start eating better" but never went or kept consistency? Well, today I will be convincing you to start getting yourself right by stating the benefits of going to the gym, what you should watch out for, and what you should know before being committed.
First, we will talk about the difference between losing weight and losing fat. Weight loss refers to a decrease in your overall body weight from muscle, water, and fat losses. By comparison, fat loss refers to weight loss from fat, and it’s a more specific and healthful goal than weight loss. It is better to focus on fat loss instead of weight loss because fat loss can decrease the risk of several chronic diseases, help reduce the risk of age-related muscle loss, and reduce fat regain. There are a few simple ways to make sure you’ll lose weight in the form of fat and either maintain or gain muscle mass. This includes eating plenty of protein, exercising regularly, and following a nutrient-dense diet that puts you in a slight calorie deficit. Basically, you can prioritize fat loss and maximize muscle by eating plenty of protein and exercising regularly with a reduced calorie diet, which is also known as “cutting.”
Additionally, we will talk about the difference between gaining weight and gaining muscle. Weight gain is an increase in body weight. This can be either an increase in muscle mass, fat deposits, or excess fluids such as water. Gaining muscle, on the other hand, is getting more muscle definition, which is a matter of increasing muscle size and decreasing body fat. When you gain muscle, you will gain weight when you step on the scale since muscle outweighs fat, but that doesn’t mean when you gain weight you will gain muscle. You can tell if you’re gaining muscle by: your clothes fitting differently, you’re building strength, and your body composition changing. To achieve this, you would want to “bulk.” Bulking diets, just like “cutting,” puts a slight strain on your body and being on a long term weight gain diet is not typically recommended for most people. The longer you bulk, the more muscle you potentially gain. However, you're also going add a decent amount of fat in the process. Muscle protein synthesis requires a balance of adequate nutrition, strength training, and rest.
Now, onto the benefits towards your mental and physical health. People who exercise regularly have better mental health and emotional well-being, with lower rates of mental illness. Exercise is important for people with mental illness because it boosts our mood, concentration, and alertness. Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. When your heart and lung health improve, you have more energy throughout the day.
On the other hand, you may have to face some consequences if you aren’t careful. Training errors can occur when you take on too much physical activity too quickly. Going too fast, exercising for too long, or simply doing too much of one type of activity can strain your muscles and lead to an overuse injury. To avoid this type of injury you can: warm-up, don’t ego lift, use proper form, listen to your body, dress appropriately, and drink water. Muscle soreness that shows up 1 or 2 days after exercising can affect anyone, regardless of your fitness level. This type of muscle stiffness, or achiness, is normal, does not last long, and is actually a sign of your improving fitness.
Surprisingly, there is an addiction to going to the gym, which can be both good and bad. Exercise addiction is an unhealthy obsession with physical fitness and exercise and is often a result of body image disorders and eating disorders. Unhealthy gym habits often lead to fatigue and exhaustion from spending too much time working out and not enough time taking care of your body. As long as you're not pushing yourself too hard or getting obsessive about it, working out every day is fine. Make sure it's something you enjoy without being too strict with yourself, especially during times of illness or injury. You can also get addicted to performance-enhancing drugs/supplements such as creatine, a naturally occurring compound produced by your body that helps your muscles release energy. Like always, if something is that beneficial to you, there will be risks. In the case for creatine, you may face stomach cramps, muscle cramps, and weight gain. No matter how you look at it, using performance-enhancing drugs is risky business and is best if avoided.
As well, you shouldn’t eat or drink a lot before a workout. You should try to avoid high fat foods, such as red meat, and greasy foods, like pizza, since you will feel bloated throughout your workout and may even feel tired before the workout even starts. Instead you should have something light 30 minutes beforehand. To provide energy for your body, it’s best to have oats, protein shakes, bananas, whole grains, yogurt, fresh fruit, boiled eggs, caffeine and smoothies.
Lastly, when you actually get into the gym, the most important thing is to get the proper form down. Proper form helps you work out more efficiently so you can use your energy for the extra push rather than wasted movements. Improper form may mean you are targeting unintended muscles or muscle groups. The better your form, the better your results and you can run faster, lift more, and jump higher when you do it right. Most importantly, poor form can lead to injury, including strains, sprains, tears, and breakages of muscles, ligaments, bones, and joints. Lifting lighter weights with proper form is always better than lifting heavier weights with poor form.
I hope this convinces you to start hitting the weights or to keep on being committed. Always keep in mind that everyone starts somewhere different, and probably has a different goal in mind.